Triple H- Unsung hero of the WWE

LGB

There aren’t many wrestlers in the history of the business as polarizing as Triple H. Fans and wrestlers alike have strong opinions of the self-proclaimed king of kings. Being the son-in-law of the most powerful man in professional wrestling gets you a lot of things. A misunderstood reputation would be right at the top of the list for Triple H.

It is amazing as to how many people on the outside of the wrestling business claim to know Triple H. Fans, journalists, and reporters don’t actually know him, but most don’t like him. The top superstar in the business has a reputation as being a manipulator, a politician, and as someone that puts himself before the company. A more objective look at Triple H would tell you that he is anything but selfish.

Pro Wrestling is a lot different than it has ever been. The Internet has changed the way fans watch and follow pro wrestling. Locker room disputes of the past were always settled inside of the locker room. On any given day a fan could find up to 20 stories on the Internet of backstage rumors, gossip, and insider information. Unfortunately most of the news is rarely sourced and it becomes impossible to decipher from hearsay and fact.

Triple H has been the number one target of these sites for a long time. Daily stories may include Triple H holding back an aspiring young wrestler, Triple H refusing to lose, Triple H demanding a title, etc, etc. As the husband of Stephanie McMahon, it is easy to blame Triple H for the lack of a wrestler’s success. However, the last few years tells a different story about one of the unsung heroes in professional wrestling.

The outcome of a wrestling match may be scripted, yet there are some wrestlers who refuse to lose. If you ever wondered why Roddy Piper and Hulk Hogan never had that big match in their primes, it is because neither man wanted to lose. Even Ric Flair and Steve Austin who have outstanding reputations in and out of the business, have both refused to lose on more than one occasion. As much crap as Triple H gets, it is almost rare for him to get a big win in a critical situation over the last few years.

Triple H is without question the most powerful wrestler in the business. He could make the case every time he wrestles that he should win. Considering the fact he would be making those arguments to his wife and father-in law, he has a good shot of avoiding the loss. Yet, Triple H has done what is right for business more than anyone else in the last few years. This from a guy who was refused a win by Bret Hart when he needed it most in 1997 because Bret didn’t want to put Trips over.

WrestleMania 24 was just another example of Triple H putting the business before himself in a big-time situation. Nobody predicted anything other than a Triple H going into WrestleMania. I even fell into the trap of thinking that he just wasn’t going to lose on arguably the most historic WrestleMania ever. Yet, it is actually rare over the last few years for Triple H to win than lose.

It never even dawned on me until I watched his new DVD. Triple H recounts the classic series he had a few years ago with Batista. The trilogy was one of the most successful series of matches of the decade. Triple H credits the success to the fact that he lost three straight matches to Batista. Triple H says the reason people kept buying the matches is because nobody expected him to lose three straight without a redemption win. He was right and it is fair to say that Batista wouldn’t have achieved superstardom if he had lost the third and final match to Triple H. See Samoa Joe vs. Kurt Angle for the political antithesis of this theory.

The last meaningful title reign that Triple H had was his win over Kane and Bill Goldberg at Armageddon 2003. Triple H has had three title wins since then, which were all set up to get others over. Triple H was the sacrificial lamb for Randy Orton, John Cena, and Batista with those title wins and losses. So much for a guy that demands titles over the good of the company.

WrestleMania is undoubtedly the biggest wrestling event of the year. Wrestlers dream about having great matches on WrestleMania. As silly as it may sound, a lot of wrestlers will sulk and attempt to manipulate their way out of losing on the big show. I had to check twice because I didn’t even believe this one. I had to go back to WrestleMania 19 in 2003 to find the last time that Triple H won at WrestleMania. Since 2004, Triple H has been the number one star in the WWE and he hasn’t won a match on WrestleMania. Triple H put over Chris Benoit, John Cena, Batista, and Randy Orton since 2003. Don’t tell me this isn’t a guy that doesn’t do what’s right for business.

Take a look at Triple H’s current run. Triple H came back after a 9-month absence at SummerSlam with a win over King Booker. Anything but a win wouldn’t make much sense in that match. Beginning with No Mercy in October, Triple H has put over Randy Orton and Jeff Hardy on two of the biggest shows of the year. Take a look at the pattern. Triple H isn’t going to sacrifice a logical win to a veteran like King Booker. However, when it comes to building young stars for the future Triple H is all business.

So the next time you read a post on an Internet board, a newsletter article, or an interview with an unnamed source blaming Triple H for holding someone back take an objective step back. The Rock, Hulk Hogan, Roddy Piper, Randy Savage, Steve Austin, Bret Hart, and Ric Flair never did more jobs to get younger talent over in their primes than Triple H.

Watch WWE television and take a look at the common denominator of the top stars on Raw and SmackDown. What is it? Triple H put them over and did the right thing for business. He has been pinned 1-2-3 by everybody from Orton to Cena to Batista to Jeff Hardy to Kennedy to Umaga to even Eugene. I think it is fair to say that the future of the WWE would be in a lot of trouble without Triple H. Triple H truly is the unsung hero of pro wrestling and his impact will be felt for years to come.

Where is my Queen?

That was well said, Triple H is really a classy guy and I keep telling my friends he is great and definetly will be in the Hall of Fame. I never thought of Triple H like that before. I am going to send this to all my friends.